Recent Data Show Mountain Bike Sales Climbing

Mountain bike sales are climbing fast, according to an analysis by Leisure Trends Group (LTG). In a presentation titled “Hitting Paydirt: How Mountain Biking is Driving Growth in the Bike Industry,” Senior Market Research Manager Jennifer Boldry, Ph. D., told members of the bicycle industry that dollar sales of mountain bikes increased 11 percent from 2011 to 2012, and more recent reporting shows even faster growth —mountain bike sales were up by an impressive 16 percent when measured from July 2012 to July 2013.

The “Hitting Paydirt” information was one of the highlights from IMBA’s annual breakfast for the bicycle industry at the Interbike trade show, held last week in Las Vegas. A short animation excerpted from the presentation is available online.

Other notable points from the presentation include:

Mountain bikers are more likely than other types of cyclists to participate in multiple forms of bicycling

Mountain bikers spend more on bikes and other gear than road cyclists — and those who do both spend the most

On average, IMBA members own four bikes and spend about $1500 on mountain biking annually

“IMBA is not an industry trade association, but one of the happy outcomes of our work is that our mission to create, protect and enhance great mountain bike experiences helps drive growth in the bicycle industry,” says IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. “For years, IMBA has used the line ‘more trails equals more sales’ to rally support from bicycle retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. This year, with LTG’s help, we illustrated that claim with real-world evidence.”

At the same time that mountain bike sales are turning upward, IMBA and its grassroots network has been working at record pace to create new singletrack trails, bike parks and other mountain bike venues. IMBA Trail Solutions, the fee-based design and construction arm of the organization, employed more full-time trail specialists than ever before during the summer building season, and the demand for trail projects far exceeds IMBA’s ability to keep pace.

“That’s the challenge and the opportunity we face,” explains Van Abel. “We know that people ride more often when they have inspiring trails to ride. The closer those trails are to their homes, the more often they will get out on their bikes, and the more they will spend. No other organization can match IMBA's track record in creating outstanding mountain bike opportunities."

About IMBA: The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational association. Our mission is to create, enhance and preserve great mountain biking experiences.Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trail work participation, cooperation among different trail user groups, grassroots advocacy and innovative trail management solutions.

The guidance on this website, and in other IMBA documents, is for reference only and should not be interpreted as a standard, specification or regulation. Mountain biking is inherently risky and could result in injury or death.